Hide

Fleet

hide
Hide
Hide
topup

Archives & Libraries

Around 1900 the old schoolhouse on the church grounds was converted into a public Reading Room.

The Library at Holbeach will prove useful in your research.

topup

Cemeteries

J. THOMAS has a photograph of St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2015.

Richard HUMPHREY also has a photograph of the graveyard at Fleet on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2011.

Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Thatched lych gate to St. Mary's church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2008.

topup

Census

  • Fleet was part of the Holbeach sub-district of the Holbeach Registration District.
     
  • In 1891 the southern portion of the parish was reassigned to the Gedney Hill subdistrict of the Holbeach Registration District.
     
  • The Lincolnshire Archives holds census returns for Fleet for the years 1811, 1821, and 1831. Normally, these will have only a surname and a count of males and females by age bracket.
     
  • We have a small file of surnames found in the 1901 Census extract. Please feel free to submit additional entries.
     
  • Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 607
1851H.O. 107 / 2097
1861R.G. 9 / 2326
1871R.G. 10 / 3326 & 3330
topup

Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalen.
     
  • The church is an ancient structure (prior to 1245). There is an old tower, separated from the church by several yards. Such a free-standing tower is unusual but not unknown in the area.
     
  • Most of the church was rebuilt during 1860-62.
     
  • The interior of the church was restored in 1911. A clock was added to the tower, also in 1911.
     
  • The church seats 340.
     
  • Here is a photo of St. Mary Magdalen Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
     
image
topup

Church Records

  • The Anglican parish registers exist from 1561 (one source tels us 1652).
     
  • We have a an extract from the Fleet parish register. Please feel free to add your own entries or submit corrections (see contact info below).
     
  • Also check out the file of Fleet Phillimore Marriages.
     
  • The Lincolnshire FHS provides several marriage indexes and a burial index for the East Elloe Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • The Baptists built a chapel here in 1681 and rebuit it in 1876, which had a burial ground and minister's house adjoining. The Unitarians also had a chapel here before 1842.
     
  • For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
     
  • Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
topup

Civil Registration

  • Fleet was part of the Holbeach sub-district of the Holbeach Registration District.
     
  • In 1891 the southern portion of the parish was reassigned to the Gedney Hill subdistrict of the Holbeach Registration District.
     
  • Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
topup

Description & Travel

Fleet is both a village and parish about 100 miles north of London, 2 miles eastof Holbeach and about 6 miles East of Spalding. Holbeach parish lies to the northwest. The parish is large is a long, narrow affair running roughly north and south to the border of Cambridgeshire, and incorporates the hamlet of Fleet Hargate. The A17 trunk road runs through the parish. The area is marshy, drained by many small canals and the South Holland Main Drain. In land area, it is approximately 6,800 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • The village is just off the A17 trunk road.
     
  • See our touring page for area resources.
You can see pictures of Fleet which are provided by:

topup

Gazetteers

topup

History

  • The Earls of Bedford started to drain the Fens around Fleet in the 17th century.
     
  • The parish had a station on the Bourn and Lynn rail line in the mid-19th century (eventually to become the Great Northern Railway).
     
  • Alex McGREGOR has a photograph of the Roase and Crown Pub. on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2021.
     
  • Peter LATHAM has a photograph of The Bull Pub. on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2005. It is across the road from the Rose and Crown.
topup

Manors

Three Manors are mentioned in the old directories for Fleet:

  • Fleet Dominorum.
  • Fleet Fitzwalter.
  • Fleet Harrington.

An older Manor, called Blanches or Branches, where Captain J. H. BARKER was lord, was extinct by 1872. Although White's 1872 Directory lists an Edward MILLINGTON, land agent, as the resident at Branches Manor House, so the house itself may have been standing at that time.

topup

Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF389238 (Lat/Lon: 52.793835, 0.05785), Fleet which are provided by:

topup

Medical Records

  • The parish was home to the East Elloe Rural District Isolation Hospital, built in 1910. The hospital could hold up to 10 patients. No records are known to be available. Hospitals were not required to archive patient records.
topup

Military History

  • Inside the church, on the south-east wall, is a bronze tablet with the names of the men from the parish who died in World War I.
     
  • In 1921 a War Memorial was erected near the main road to honour those who served and fell during World War I.
     
  • The Anglia Motel has a collection of military equipment they have assembled over time.
topup

Military Records

In St. Mary's churchyard there are 4 Commonwealth War Graves for World War I and 2 for World War II:.

  1. Cecil DAWSON, priv., 3rd Btn. Border Regt., age 28, died 22 Aug. 1917.
  2. Harry LAW, lieut., 1st Btn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, age 23, died 21 July 1915. Son of James H. A. and Mary LAW of Chelmsford.
  3. Alfred RINGHAM, priv., Royal Army Veterinary Corps, age 34, died 26 Feb. 1919.
  4. Charles TINGLE, priv., 7th Btn. Sherwood Foresters, age 18, died 8 July 1918. Son of Henry and Betsy E. TINGLE of Holbeach Fen.

And, from World War II:

  1. Dennis MACKMAN, sapper, Royal Engineers, age 24, died 15 May 1946. Son of William and Alice MACKMAN of Fleet Fen.
  2. Leslie PORTER, priv., 2nd Btn. Lincs. Regt., age 41, died 20 Sept. 1943. Son of Allen Shaw and Annie Elizabeth PORTER of Fleet.
topup

Names, Geographical

  • The name Fleet is from the Old English fleot, or "stream". In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is recorded under the Old English name as Fleot.
    [A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991]
topup

Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in Lincoln county and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient Elloe Wapentake in the South Holland district in the parts of Holland.
     
  • You may contact the Fleet Parish Council regarding civic and political matters, but they can NOT assist you with family history research.
     
  • For today's district governance, visit the South Holland District Council site.
topup

Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Elloe (Spalding) petty session hearings.
     
  • The Common Fields were enclosed here in 1794.
     
  • 23 acres were set aside to generate income for the poor.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Holbeach Poor Law Union.
     
  • The Holbeach Union Workhouse is in this parish.
topup

Population

The 1891 and 1911 populations, and probably most of the other years after 1837, includes the staff and inmates in the Holbeach Union Workhouse.

YearInhabitants
1801551
1821776
1831794
1841960
18511,162
18711,375
18811,331
18911,200
19111,155
topup

Schools

  • A Free School was endowed in 1727, although the date of first class is unknown. It was free to all poor children. That building was rebuilt in 1813. A new school was built in 1842, but ceased to exist by 1900. This was known as Hargate School.
     
  • Wood Lane School was built in 1878 and enlarged in 1895 for up to 151 children.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of Fleet Wood Lane School on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2015.
     
  • Fen School was built in 1878 to accomodate 100 children.
     
  • For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.